Unyte®

Michelman’s Unyte® brand is designed to help technical textiles and pre-preg fabrics achieve advanced form and function in woven and nonwoven materials. Using our unrivaled expertise in water-based emulsions, the performance and production of technical textiles are enhanced through improved adhesion (fiber-to-matrix and fiber-to-fiber), thermal resistance, lubricity, print receptivity, water & chemical resistance, and anti-blocking.

Enhancing the Versatility of Technical Textiles

Today's textiles are not limited to traditional applications such as apparel. Strength, chemical resistance, and other performance characteristics can be optimized through advanced surface modification of the textile's fibers. These so-called technical textiles are utilized in a wide range of applications in construction, medical, automotive, and manufacturing, as well as offer protection against ballistics and other hazards. They also help safeguard the environment by replacing heavier, rigid components with lightweight, flexible, nonwoven materials, which help to reduce fuel consumption.

Our Unyte® family of products enhances the performance of many textile materials, and can be used with carbon, glass, aramid, basalt, natural, UHMWPE, and other polymeric fibers, including chopped and continuous formats.

How technical textiles are produced
Various types of fibers are reinforced and combined with other materials into basic intermediate formats — woven, nonwoven, braided, and three-dimensional — and then incorporated into a vast array of end-use applications.

Why Technical Textile Manufacturers Partner with Michelman

We are well known globally for our emulsification and polymer dispersion technologies and have become the world’s leader in the development of fiber-sizing solutions. Our expertise in formulating surface treatments, strengthened by our understanding of end-use applications, provides technical textile manufacturers a robust set of solutions and capabilities.

 
FIBER-TO-MATRIX ADHESION

Unyte® promotes adhesion between fibers and polymeric matrices, helping to improve various functional or mechanical properties. This increased fiber-to-matrix adhesion is beneficial to pre-preg fabric for composites and multilayer systems that combine woven and nonwoven materials.

THERMAL RESISTANCE

Select Unyte® grades operate at elevated temperatures without degradation and can withstand more thermal cycling operations. In addition, they provide heat resistance during primary and secondary processing and impart heat resistance in end-use applications. They are ideal for use in braided three-dimensional structures for thermal insulation.

FIBER-TO-FIBER ADHESION

Unyte® offers multiple solutions that improve fiber-to-fiber adhesion. This improved binding of fibers creates a better structure for applications such as laid or woven scrim and pre-pregs.

LUBRICITY

Manufacturers of pre-preg fabric and multilayer systems combining woven and nonwoven materials can use Unyte® to increase lubricity and slip, and facilitate tow spreading of fibers in technical textile production. Unyte® is also used as over-sizing to improve release, drape, and fabric processability.

PRINT RECEPTIVITY

Unyte® boosts ink adhesion for improved print receptivity and minimal color bleed. Fabrics that are over-printed for decoration and branding—or with identification codes where legibility is essential— can benefit from these solutions.

WATER AND CHEMICAL RESISTANCE

Some products within the Unyte® family are designed to provide excellent wet-out and strong surface adhesion to fabrics. They impart performance benefits, including chemical resistance, water resistance, and hydrophobicity under humid conditions to fabrics, wovens, and non-wovens.

ANTI-BLOCKING

Certain textiles, nonwovens, and pre-pregs need to be stacked or rolled without sticking together. Unyte® products can promote anti-block properties to help improve interlayer release and stack-ability of finished products. 

Product Name
Form Type
Emulsifier Charge
adhesion
binding
block resistance
drape
lubricity
release
tow spreading
water resistance
Unyte® Bind 210Specialty DispersionN/A
Unyte® Glide 310EmulsionAnionic
Unyte® Grip 110Specialty DispersionAnionic / Nonionic
Unyte® Grip 130EmulsionAnionic / Nonionic
Unyte® Resist 711EmulsionAnionic / Nonionic
Unyte® Slip 530EmulsionNonionic